Welcome to the Cleveland Clinic Transplant Center
Welcome to the Lung Transplant Program. Cleveland Clinic performed its first adult lung transplant on Feb. 14, 1990. The first pediatric lung transplant was performed on Dec. 24, 1991, and the first combined lung/heart transplant was performed on Feb. 14, 1992. Since then, the Lung Transplant Program has grown steadily with more than 300 patients who have received single lung, double lung, or heart/lung transplants through October, 2002.
Cleveland Clinic's Transplant Center is a member of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and the Ohio Solid Organ Transplantation Consortium (OSOTC) - organizations that establish and enforce regulations to ensure equality in organ transplantation and fairness in distribution of donor organs. The Transplant Center meets all of the UNOS and OSOTC requirements for lung transplantation.
Cleveland Clinic has designated facilities and support services available to assist patients and their families throughout the entire transplant process. Transplant patients at Cleveland Clinic receive the highest-quality medical and nursing care.
The Lung Transplant Team offers comprehensive care
The Lung Transplant Team at Cleveland Clinic is specially trained in meeting the needs of lung transplant patients. The team is committed to providing comprehensive care in a compassionate setting. The Lung Transplant Team includes:
Transplant surgeons
The transplant surgeon is the staff doctor who performs the transplant surgery. Your transplant surgeon follows your progress while you are in the hospital and monitors your post-transplant care. After your surgery, your transplant surgeon works with the pulmonologist to adjust some of your medicines.
Transplant pulmonologists
The transplant pulmonologist is a staff doctor with extensive training and experience in lung disease and transplantation. During and after your transplant, your pulmonologist monitors your health as it relates to your lung transplant. Before and after your transplant, we encourage you to continue seeing your medical doctor for regular screenings and general health check-ups.
Your pulmonologist and surgeon work together to adjust your medicines and treat any complications that might occur in the hospital after transplantation, such as high blood pressure or infection. A transplant pulmonologist continues to care for your health during your follow-up visits.
Infectious disease team
Before your transplant, you will need to take immunosuppressant medicines that suppress your immune system to prepare your body to receive the new organ. These medicines decrease your body's ability to fight infection.
Before your transplant, the infectious disease team of doctors will perform several tests to detect any signs of infection.
Once you are admitted to the hospital, the infectious disease team will help control your environment to protect you against harmful sources of infection. Visitors and others might be asked to wear special clothing or masks and wash their hands with antibacterial soap before entering your room. In addition, your temperature will be taken every day at the same time to detect early signs of infection.
Pharmacologists
The pharmacologist will check your blood levels to monitor your response to the immunosuppressive medicines. Along with your pulmonologist and surgeon, your pharmacologist will make adjustments in your medicine dosage as needed.
The pharmacologist, along with your nurses and transplant coordinator, will also teach you about your transplant medicines.
Transplant coordinators
The transplant coordinator is a registered nurse who coordinates all the events leading up to and following your transplant. He or she helps arrange your pre-transplant tests and helps find a suitable donor, as well as teaches you how to prepare for your transplant.
Along with other members of the transplant team, your transplant coordinator teaches you how to take care of yourself after transplantation to maintain your health. After you are discharged from the hospital, your transplant coordinator will continue to be directly involved in all aspects of your care.
Transplant fellows and residents
Transplant fellows and residents are doctors who are training to become pulmonologists or transplant surgeons. They work under the guidance of your staff pulmonologist and surgeon and are usually the doctors who will visit you on a daily basis.
Registered nurses
Registered nurses provide care 24 hours a day. Registered nurses work together with your doctor, surgeon, and transplant coordinator to plan your daily care. They also:
- Check your progress at frequent intervals throughout the day and night
- Administer your medicines
- Inform your doctor of any changes in your condition
- Educate you and your family about the medicines you will be taking
- Teach you how to care for your health after transplantation and prepare you for your return home
Nursing assistants
Nursing assistants work with the registered nurses to provide your daily care. They might take your temperature, blood pressure, and daily weight. They also assist with your personal care and help make you comfortable during your hospital stay.
Dietitians
Registered dietitians (nutrition experts) are available to help you maintain good nutrition during your transplant recovery. They work closely with you and your doctor to provide individualized nutritional counseling. They are also available to answer any nutritional questions you might have.
Social workers
Social workers are available to you and your family to discuss any concerns you might have about your transplant or your personal situation.
Your social worker will be a primary source of support during the transplant process. Social workers can provide education, counseling regarding lifestyle changes, referrals to community or national agencies and support groups, and any other assistance you might need.
Financial counselors
Some transplant patients might be eligible for certain government programs, depending on their individual financial situation.
Your financial counselor can answer any questions you might have about insurance coverage and benefits related to surgery and care.
Physical therapists
Registered physical therapists are experts in preventing complications from too much bed rest and in re-training your muscles for your regular activities.
Therapists can recommend exercises to help you maintain flexibility and regain strength. Your doctor can request a therapist consultation on your behalf, as needed.
Other Lung Transplant Team members
A chaplain is available to provide spiritual guidance or counseling for all faiths. There are many other professionals - such as respiratory therapists, laboratory technicians, and support staff - who work as members of the Lung Transplant Team to meet your medical and personal needs.
Where will I receive care after transplant surgery?
After your surgery, you will receive care in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and then in the Transplant Unit. This unit is designated for all transplant patients. The staff in the Transplant Unit is experienced in meeting the unique needs of lung transplant patients and their families.
Special care for pediatric patients
Pediatric and adolescent patients receiving lung transplants are admitted to Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. There, they are under the care of specialists - nurses, social workers, child-life workers, and other health care professionals- who are trained to meet the unique needs of children and their families.
The Children's Hospital provides state-of-the-art care in a home-like setting. Because the family is an important part of a hospitalized child's recovery, the hospital rooms are designed to enable a parent to spend the night in the room with his or her child.
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 11/15/2006...#4376
